Holy Spirit’s Power Imparted to Believers

 “And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. And all the men were about twelve.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭19‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Dr. Luke records, “And when Paul laid his hands on each of the twelve, the Holy Spirit manifested and they immediately spoke in tongues and prophesied.”  The impartation of the Holy Spirit and His gifts transferred from Paul to these believers as they spoke tongue by tongue and gushed out prophecies. We can never minimize the powerful gift that operates in our life, for it was imparted to us by the laying on of hands of the elders and was activated through the prophecy they spoke over us. Let’s fan into a flame and rekindle the fire of the spiritual gift God imparted to us when hands were laid upon us.  For God never gave us the spirit of fear, but the Holy Spirit Who gives us mighty power, love, and self-control.  Jesus taught us that when the Holy Spirit comes upon us, it is to impart power for our lives and ministries.  Amen!

Surrendering Our Will to do God’s Will

 “at the same time spake the LORD by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, Go and loose the sackcloth from off thy loins, and put off thy shoe from thy foot. And he did so, walking naked and barefoot. And the LORD said, Like as my servant Isaiah hath walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and wonder upon Egypt and upon Ethiopia;”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭20‬:‭2‬-‭3‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Isaiah prophesied, “At that time the Lord Yahweh said to Isaiah, the son of Amoz, “Take off your clothes and sandals.” Isaiah did as he was told and walked about naked and barefoot. Then the Lord Yahweh said, “Just as My servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot for three years as a prophetic sign and a wonder as a warning of what is coming to Egypt and Cush,”. Isaiah was a walking parable, completely obedient to the LORD, and signifying Jesus Who stripped Himself of His glory in heaven and came down to earth to become human, as one of His creation.  Jesus’s ministry to preach and teach was also for three years.  Finally Jesus took the sin of all humanity and judgment came upon Him on the Cross, as His Blood was shed as the sacrifice for us.  That is why we present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is our reasonable service. And we do not become conformed to this world, but are transformed by the renewing of our  mind, that we may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.  Let’s choose to surrender and do God’s will.  Amen!

Gospel of Hope and Peace

 “And when he had landed at Cæsarea, and gone up, and saluted the church, he went down to Antioch. And after he had spent some time there, he departed, and went over all the country of Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthening all the disciples.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭18‬:‭22‬-‭23‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Dr. Luke records, “When he arrived there he traveled on to Jerusalem to visit the church and pray for them, then he left for Antioch. After spending some time there, Paul continued on through the region of Galatia and Phyrgia in central Turkey. And wherever he went he encouraged and strengthened the believers.”  Paul’s prayer life was worth emulating.  As a true spiritual father, Paul prayed for the peace of the congregation wherever he went.  He brought the believers a message of hope and peace.  Wherever Paul went, he made them all disciples of Christ.  The Lord Jesus said it so clearly, “If you truly desire to be My disciple, you must disown your life completely, embrace My ‘Cross’ as your own, and surrender to My ways. For if you choose self-sacrifice, giving up your lives for My glory, you will discover true life. But if you choose to keep your lives for yourselves, you will lose what you try to keep.”  This is what Paul did as he made disciples for Christ.  This is what we do, learning from Paul, to be a follower of Christ and to make disciples for Christ always bringing a message of hope and peace.  Amen!

The Unshakeable Kingdom of God

 “The burden of Egypt. Behold, the LORD rideth upon a swift cloud, and shall come into Egypt: and the idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence, and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭19‬:‭1‬ ‭KJV‬‬

As Isaiah prophesied, “A prophecy concerning Egypt: Behold! The Lord Yahweh is riding on a swift-soaring cloud! He is on His way to Egypt! The god-idols of Egypt will tremble at His Presence, and the hearts of the Egyptians will melt within them!”  Egypt is a recognised symbol of the world and its temptations and snares.  Clouds are a metaphor for God’s glory with His sons and daughters in glory.  As the psalmist worshipping God, said, “He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters, Who makes the clouds His chariot, Who walks on the wings of the wind, Who makes His angels spirits, His ministers a flame of fire.”  Our God has promised that He is coming to establish His Kingdom and we who believe in the God Who willingly laid down His life for us, are part of this glorious Kingdom.  “The earth was rocked at the sound of His Voice from the mountain, but now He has promised, “Once and for all I will not only shake the systems of the world, but also the unseen powers in the heavenly realm!” Now this phrase “once and for all” clearly indicates the final removal of things that are shaking, that is, the old order, so only what is unshakable will remain. Since we are receiving our rights to an unshakable Kingdom we should be extremely thankful and offer God the purest worship that delights His heart as we lay down our lives in absolute surrender, filled with awe. For our God is a holy, devouring fire!”  Amen!

New Life Now & for Eternity

 “that they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: for in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭17‬:‭27‬-‭28‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Dr. Luke records, “He has done this so that every person would long for God, feel their way to Him, and find Him—for He is the God Who is easy to discover! It is through Him that we live and function and have our identity; just as your own poets have said, ‘Our lineage comes from Him.’”  God has given every human being the ability to seek Him and find Him.  We can all investigate God in His creation because He is not far from each one of us.  Even other Greek classical philosophers as early as 270 BC have quoted that mankind is God’s offspring and the nature comes from God.  Paul had this intellectual knowledge as he quoted these philosophers to the gathering in order to win them.  The account of creation is much older than the Greek philosophers where it says, “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”  Our identity is the image and likeness of God Himself which through sin was lost but was restored through the Blood Sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the Son of God Who is the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.  Let’s preach the glorious Gospel of being buried with Him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life.  Amen!

God’s Dwelling Place

 “For so the LORD said unto me, I will take my rest, and I will consider in my dwelling place like a clear heat upon herbs, and like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭18‬:‭4‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Isaiah prophesied, “Here is what the Lord Yahweh said to me: “I will rest calm and confident as I look from My dwelling place, serene as on a pleasant summer day or as a cool, refreshing cloud in the heat of harvest.”  The Body of Christ is now the dwelling place.  So, we are not foreigners or guests, but rather we are the children of the city of the holy ones, with all the rights as family members of the household of God. We are rising like the perfectly fitted stones of the temple; and our lives have been built up together upon the foundation laid by the apostles and prophets, and best of all, we are connected to the Head Cornerstone of the building, the Anointed One, Jesus Christ Himself! This entire building is under construction and is continually growing under His supervision until it rises up completed as the holy temple of the Lord Himself. This means that God is transforming each one of us who believes in this, into the Holy of Holies, His dwelling place, through the power of the Holy Spirit living in us!  Let’s believe in what Christ did on the Cross for each one of us.  Amen!

Holy Spirit Leading in All our Acts

 “Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia, after they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭16‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Dr. Luke records, “The Holy Spirit had forbidden Paul and his partners to preach the word in the southwestern provinces of Turkey, so they ministered throughout the region of central and west-central Turkey. When they got as far west as the borders of Mysia, they repeatedly attempted to go north into the province of Bithynia, but again the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to enter.”  Today’s capital of Turkey is Ankara which is situated in the area known as Galatia.  We do not know how the Holy Spirit kept them from going into Bithynia, but it could have been through a warning given by means of a dream or vision.  In any case, it is obvious the Holy Spirit was guiding His missionaries.  He is the Lord of the  Harvest Who prepares, imparts, gifts, anoints, and sends out His servants to gather the nations to Jesus Christ.  The book of Acts is best understood as the book of Activities of the Holy Spirit.  Here He is the “Spirit of Jesus”.  True and lasting fruit in ministry comes through the work and leading of the Spirit of Jesus. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.  Let’s be those who take the leading of the Holy Spirit seriously for that’s the only way to exalt Jesus through our life.  Amen!

Be a Harvester to bring Souls for God’s Kingdom

 “And it shall be as when the harvestman gathereth the corn, and reapeth the ears with his arm; and it shall be as he that gathereth ears in the valley of Rephaim. Yet gleaning grapes shall be left in it, as the shaking of an olive tree, two or three berries in the top of the uppermost bough, four or five in the outmost fruitful branches thereof, saith the LORD God of Israel.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭17‬:‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Isaiah prophesies, “It will be as when a farmer harvests the standing grain and gathers armloads of grain, and as one gathers ears of grain in the Valley of Giants. Yet some gleanings will remain, as when an olive tree is shaken, leaving two or three olives in the highest branches and four or five on its fruitful branches,” declares Lord Yahweh, the God of Israel.”  The Jesus Life within us will soon reap a harvest of glory and it always bears the beautiful harvest of righteousness! Good seeds of wisdom’s fruit will be planted with peaceful acts by those who cherish making peace.  Through mighty men and women, armloads of grain, the spiritual harvest of powerful sons and daughters of God, will be seen in the coming days. Olive is harvested by shaking the olive tree.  The two or three olives at the top are those who know the power of agreement in prayer when two or three gather in Jesus’s Name.  The fruitful branches are those who know to abide in the Vine and bear much fruit.    Let’s be those who believe Jesus when He says, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.”  Amen!

Christ is the End of the Law for Righteousness

 “But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses. And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us;”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭15‬:‭5‬, ‭8‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Dr. Luke records, “But some of the believers who were of the religious group called “separated ones” were insistent, saying, “We must continue the custom of circumcision and require that the people keep the law of Moses.” God, who knows the hearts of every person, confirmed this when He gave them the Holy Spirit, just like He has given the Spirit to us.”  There are many who are bound by the old covenant law given by Moses, like the Pharisees. For they are ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, and have not submitted to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.  Because we believe that Jesus became sin for us that we might be the righteousness of God in Him, that’s why we love and value others the same way we love and value ourselves and others for love makes it impossible to harm another, so love fulfills all that the law requires.  Let’s as believers be known for our cheerful generosity and love for others, so that people are drawn to Christ’s love through us.  Amen!

Pride Goes Before Destruction

 “Let mine outcasts dwell with thee, Moab; be thou a covert to them from the face of the spoiler: for the extortioner is at an end, the spoiler ceaseth, the oppressors are consumed out of the land. And in mercy shall the throne be established: and he shall sit upon it in truth in the tabernacle of David, judging, and seeking judgment, and hasting righteousness.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭16‬:‭4‬-‭5‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Isaiah prophesied, “Allow the Moabite fugitives to stay with you. Be a shelter for them from the destroyer!” One day the oppressor will be no more. The destroyer will come to an end, and the tyrant will vanish from the land. Then a government of unfailing love will be established, with a faithful king in the tabernacle of David, passionate for justice and swift to do what is right.”  Moab’s pride was its destruction and it disappeared as a nation.  Wisdom has repeatedly said that pride leads to destruction and humility leads to honor.  The perfect example is the Lord Jesus Christ Who left His glorious majesty in heaven and humbled Himself to put on humanity on earth to tell us about God’s love, to die on the Cross and to rise again in resurrection power to give us new life.  He has now established His Throne in the hearts of those who acknowledge His Lordship.  He is the Son of David Who is the Son of God.  His Church which is His Body, is bringing souls into His Kingdom on earth till every tongue should confesses that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.  The Church is not preaching about themselves. The Church’s message is that Jesus Christ is Lord and He has sent us to love and serve one another.  We are God’s sons and daughters sent to serve humanity and win souls for Christ.  Amen!